An infant prodigy who lived to be an octogenarian
The Life. Here are the milestones at the beginning and the end of a remarkable career:
Anno Domini 1756 (Feb. 6) : Esther Edwards Burr, daughter of
Jonathan Edwards and wife of the Rev. Aaron Burr, President of the College of New Jersey (Princeton), was unexpectedly delivered of her second child, a son, christened Aaron. The child was son, grandson, great-grandson, great-great-grandson of clergymen on both sides of his family.
1757-58: When little Aaron was 18 months old, his father died, and his Grandfather Edwards became President of Princeton; when Aaron was 24 months old his grandfather died; when he was 25 months old his mother died. He was brought up by an uncle.
1767: At eleven, little Aaron applied for admission to Princeton, but looked less than his age and was rejected.
1769: At 13, having tutored outside, he applied again for entrance as a junior in Princeton. He was accepted as a sophomore.
1772: At 16, he was graduated from Princeton. He spent a year in graduate study, a few months preparing for the ministry, and then changed to the study of law at Litchfield. He was an attractive youth, especially to the ladies, although he was only five feet six. He admitted to "now and then an affair of petty gallantry."
1775: At the beginning of the
Revolution, Aaron closed his law books and joined the Continental Army before Boston, but the siege was dull, and he set out with 1100 others under Colonel Benedict Arnold to branch up through Maine and capture Quebec. They had terrible hardships on the journey. Before reaching their destination they almost starved. On the last day of the year Captain Burr, 19, on the staff of General Montgomery was at his commander's side when the latter was killed in a storming operation. The young Captain tried to carry the big General off the field but was not strong enough.
1776: Captain Burr was recalled to Manhattan and placed on the staff of General Washington. The General did not like the young whippersnapper. The young Captain had small respect for the abilities of his commander. So at 20 Burr was made a Major on the staff of General Israel Putnam.
1777: On the evacuation of Manhattan, General Knox ordered a brigade into a little fort which was rapidly being surrounded. Major Burr rode up and argued with Knox. Knox was obstinate. So Burr addressed the men and led them out of the closing trap. At 21, Burr was made Lieutenant Colonel and protested to Washington that others were placed over him. He gained a reputation as a disciplinarian and a leader. He was several times given command of troublesome troops. He established the first organized military intelligence for the Continental army.
177.9: At 23, Burr resigned his commission because of ill health (occasioned by hardships), and after a year or two spent in re- covering resumed the study of law.
1782: Burr was admitted to the bar at Albany and six months later, then 26, he married Theodosia Barton Prevost. In spite of his attainments with the ladies, he married a woman, ten years his senior, the widow of a British officer who had died in the West Indies, the mother of five children, but she was one of the most accomplished women in America.